Stretch & Learn

“Christmas in Australia on a scorching summers day.” Colin Buchanans parody to the Christmas carol Jingle Bells, still takes me back to an unforgettable Christmas summer holiday. The Whitsundays is a group of small islands in the Coral Sea that make a part of The Great Barrier Reefs big backyard, located on the central coast of Queensland. Airlie Beach acts as a main point of harbour for the Whitsundays, and is a hot spot for a spontaneous summer getaway.

The Whitsundays is a location like no other, with super friendly locals and fresh sea food caught daily, you are guaranteed to be in for a treat. There is an option of hiring a fishing charter and catching your own dinner, and that was exactly what my partner Jamie and I got up to. We set out for a five hour tour for a deep sea fishing experience. The most rewarding experience is getting to know the other friendly travellers on the boat and simply enjoying the calm of the deep blue Coral Sea. Every evening we would cook local seafood produce by skinning, filleting and marinating the catch ourselves and on the evening of our biggest catch, it was no exception. Our choice of cooking was always steaming the catch of the day on the BBQ by the sea. Steaming is the healthiest option for cooking as it traps all the nutritional goodness plus it keeps the product tender and succulent.

We stayed a 10 minute bike ride off the main strip in a rainforest retreat for a bargain price. Any excess money was used for local dining and incredible tour experiences and everyday there was always something happening around the main strip of Airlie Beach. The residents of Airlie Beach are all to happy to share their stories and tales of opening a successful thriving business. Most days we spent chatting to owners of businesses, laying on the sand at Hideaway Bay and eating at our favourite restaurant, La Tabella.

On our final week we took a five hour Jet ski tour out to the famous Daydream Island. What more can a guy want then to play with some of the coolest gadgets racing around the coast and the circling islands. The tour far exceeded our expectations, upon reaching the fabulous Daydream Island, the group got to choose between a range of activities and one of those was feeding fish and handling the sharks! Don’t worry, It’s safe!

The Whitsundays have attracted the likes of Katy Perry, Mariah and the very best Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie. I would recommend The Great Barrier Reef experience to any adventure seeker.